Speaking into their Ears
by Protonymic
Summary: Judy and Nick find themselves forced to take a mandatory vacation, leaving them with a whole month free. A month for them to, slowly, discover just what they feel for each other and share more than a few sweet moments.
"Officer Hopps and Wilde. Office, now."

It had been some time since Judy Hopps heard similar words from Chief Bogo's mouth. The memories of that last time weren't at all good. Her ears, upright and perky from another satisfying day on the force making the world a better place dropped.

Behind her, a worried sigh came from a fox. Nick Wilde's ears flicked once in worry. When she turned, all she saw in her partner was that characteristic smug smile, obscuring completely whatever laid behind his face.

"Oh, don't worry, Carrots. Maybe he just wants to congratulate us on a job well done!" Nick smirked, voice free of doubt.

"Y... yeah, I suppose." The rabbit couldn't keep her outlook as good. What had gone wrong? Did she, in her zeal, endanger the city again? Losing her job once was bad enough. And what about her partner? What if she was responsible for Nick losing the most precious thing he'd had in years? She barely had herself together by the time she sat in the office of her superior. She had her face high and eyes calm, but her partner could easily see through all that. He saw a lot of things.

Before the pair sat their superior, a hulking, powerful buffalo. Even without the muscles that showed their conditioning through his decorated uniform, his sheer size would be enough to intimidate them both. The spectacles that sat on his snout added a touch of wisdom to his presence, giving the impression of a man who could not be beaten by wit or strength. Through them he gazed at the pair, his expression clearly displeased.

"Yes, Chief Bogo. What may we do for you?" As expected of foxes, Nick did not show a single hint of weakness. His tone was as if he'd been invited for a casual drink downtown.

"We have a problem." His voice alone could make an ordinary citizen surrender. The pair before him gulped. They expected the worst.

"Both of you have yet to take a single day of leave."

"Uhh... leave?" Judy, awash with relief, was the first to feel her mouth free up to speak. The tension in the air gave way to mild confusion. The chief sighed, and pushed up his glasses.

"Yes, leave. It's nearing the end of the workyear, and both of you still have your full twenty days of entitled leave left. So I'm going to need both of you to take the next few weeks off. I trust none of you have a problem with that?"

"Days off? Yeah, no prob—"

"What? Why's that necessary?" Judy's confusion easily drowned out Nick's eagerness. The rabbit didn't feel much better than before.

"Because the new mayor's going to be asking me questions if any public servant hasn't taken their allocated, mandated work slash life balance. And I don't need any of that now. That enough?" The buffalo wrinkled his nose. This was the last thing on his list before he could retire for the day. How long did these imbeciles want to drag it out?

"But.. but! Chief, surely the mayor must understand how important our jobs are—" Judy continued to protest, not noticing Nick's sigh to her side.

"And surely you can put a little bit of faith into your comrades, can you? The city isn't going to burn down just because two officers are off having a vacation. A well-earned vacation, in fact, so I expect both of you to use it to return refreshed and ready for more work. Is that understood?"

"Oh! Of course, Chief! We'll be back ready and refreshed! Come on, Nick!" Bogo sighed in relief as the pair left his office, the fox giving another smug wave as he left. Framing the mandatory leave that way worked far better than he'd expected.

On most Thursdays, Judy would bid her partner farewell as they left work and head home immediately to rest up for the next day. She wasn't prepared for this day to be her last day of work for what, a month? She parted the doors of the police station into the orange sundown, illuminating the city a final time for the day in its rush hour. The relative silence in the station broke into the honks of cars, running of engines and chatter of citizens who had to wait one more day for their weekend.

"Hmm... I guess I could go home and give my parents the good news..." Judy was clearly unsure how to use just one extra free day. Nick jumped on the chance.

"Hey, if you got nothing in mind, I do! Want to celebrate the start of our break together? I got a place in mind..."

"That bar of yours you keep talking about?"

"Yeah! Look, I promise, it's a great place. Plus, it's still a Thursday, so it's gonna be pretty quiet. Pretty much just us, y' dig?"

"Sounds great. You do know your way around, huh, Nick?"

"Of course I do. You... know you love me."

Even in the midst of a busy street, both bunny and fox heard a silence between them.

"Mmmm."

The buzz in the train eased the cloud of unease that came over the pair. The thing about Zootopia was that there was always a crowd you could fade into. Nick said there'd be there shortly, so Judy didn't take a seat. They were there for the needy, after all. Nick always said that whoever wanted to take it from them should just ask, but she didn't want to make anybody do that.

Nick was tired, of course, but he didn't want to sit down while Judy stood. Eh, it was just for a few more minutes. Besides, standing here gave him a good view of Carrots' head and ears, glowing in the fading sunlight from the windows. They flicked in his direction every few minutes. It was easy to keep his reaction to her ears hidden behind the small smile.

They got off into a quieter side of town, below massive bridges made for the vehicles of the bigger animals that ran across just one of the rivers that flowed through the massive city. Cranes on the many walled-off sites lay silent. Some would be turned on again the next day. The others had rust that only grew as the months went by. On the river bank, an assortment of establishments presented themselves hopefully, trying to attract a hungry or thirsty citizen. Nick led Judy into the one least flashy, with just a single lit sign bearing its name.

"After you, of course." Nick pulled out a bar stool for Judy once they were inside, away from the last of the day's heat.

"Wow, such a gentleman." The rabbit hopped onto the graciously offered seat. They sat to each other's side, on a bar table facing a large glass wall. Some distance in front of them was the river, and beyond that the city they had were working to protect. Judy sighed, staring out at it. Her ears drooped down, relaxed.

"See? Told you it'd be great. It is, right?" Nick sipped his juice, staring out at the lights across the river. By the time their dinner and drinks were served, the sun had left entirely. Conversation was pleasant, but it wasn't enough. Nick wanted something very, very badly, and chatting about work wasn't what he brought Carrots here for.

"It is. The view is beautiful..." Judy sat seemingly entranced by the city centre far away. It was impossible to see anything but a few bright stars while in Zootopia, but to a country girl like her, the lights of the city still bright at night had their own defiant beauty.

"Really? I say you got a more beautiful view here, don't you?" Nick's tail remained perfectly still as he said those words. There was an uncharacteristic quiver in his lips.

"Hah. You wish." Judy turned, leaning her head on one hand. Her eyes concentrated on the fox as she wore a grin on her face.

Nick's smirked crack, very slightly. "...You know you love me," he almost muttered.

"Yeah. What about it?" Judy nonchalantly shrugged off the comment. She'd been through it loads of times.

So frustrating. Not just that. Did he really have to spell it out? Nick's breathing grew shallower. He hoped that this would be a good time. The day wasn't supposed to end like this.

"Yeah, but... you know. More than that."

"I dunno. How about you?"

Nick continued sipping his drink from the straw, even though there wasn't anything left for a while. If only they'd nipped home to get out of uniform, he'd be able to have a dose of liquid courage. He needed all he could get.

"More than... well, about the same as I do."

"About the same as you what?" Judy had always been sort of a brick wall, but not like this. For Nick, it was now or never. Even if she'd turned away again to watch the window, and not see his pleading face.

"Love you. Judy, I love you. Too. You... know what I mean, right?"

There it was. Slowly, Judy turned to face the fox. For those few moments, there was no disguise for her to claw her way through. There was none of the smugness that he usually wore, just Nick as he was, whose naked eyes betrayed his heart. It almost made Judy's melt, as she broke out into a grin stolen from him.

"Love you. Judy, I love you." Click. "Love you. Judy, I love you." The rabbit revealed her other hand, revealing what was playing his words voice right back. An orange, carrot shaped pen he knew very well, and secretly treasured for bringing them together in the first place.

"Do you have any idea how adorable you are now, Nick? Aww, look at you..." Judy giggled as Nick's ears raised themselves up and his eyes widened. A rare smile spread across his maw, one that wasn't trying to hide anything. There was a lovable innocent joy in his eyes. The first time she saw it when was she pinned his police badge on for his commissioning.

"Sly bunny." Nick laughed in relief, done with the hardest thing he'd accomplished, ever. Only at the moment did he notice how warm his cheeks were.

"Dumb fox." Judy's ears rose. Nick was just too cute this way, stripped of his many disguises. She, too, felt her cheeks grow warm, but was less disturbed about it than the fox. "You kept asking me, but you never told me about yourself, did you?"

"Heh. Hardest thing I've ever done. Now, are you going to give me that pen?"

"Don't worry, Nick. You can have it back on one condition." Judy waved the pen tantalizingly.

"Which is?"

"Take me on a nice date. This is one, right?" Judy had not a hint of hesitation in her voice. A very long time waiting to get those words out of her partner gave her plenty of opportunities, in her bored nights alone at home, to imagine what would come and rehearse. Imagining that lovable face proclaiming his love, before moving on to other, more vivid things. No one but her had to know that, though.

Nick's smile dropped, for just a second. "I–I uh, of course. That's why we're here, aren't we?"

Satisfied, Judy moved her seat closer, gazing out into the distance with her partner. The water's surface, reflecting the light of the city, shone with a brilliance that compelled them to gaze in. Their eyes followed the water to the opposite bank where the main city stood. Every light would stay illuminated till the wee hours of the morning the next day, but tonight the city slept early, and was less glamorous till then. The pair took their time, resting in the silence, occasionally glancing at each other's reflection on the glass.

"It really is pretty, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Not as much as you are, though."

Judy's long ears rose up again suddenly, caught entirely off guard. The look of surprise on her face was what Nick wanted to see, to make him feel things were right again. Laying his heart out like that was something he never did. Carrots, she was the only one allowed to see, for just that one time, but now he had to make things right. Plus, she looked adorable, flustered like that.

"Oh, you sly fox. It's late. Wanna walk me home, Nick? I'd feel sooo much safer with you..." Ignoring how she still fared better in physical tests in the academy, of course.

"Tough bunny wants me to keep her warm on the way home, huh?" Not that he was showing it, but Nick was positively glowing. Once the bill was dealt with and their bellies warm with more than just food, the two went out into the night air, side by side.

As a faint wind hit, Nick felt a soft, warm paw curl around his. Judy was holding onto his hand, looking at him with those oddly sly violet eyes.

"Didn't you feel that chill wind? Your hand's so warm. You don't mind helping to keep mine nice and toasty, do you? She felt a rush of heat around her palm, locked safely in her partner's.

"Yeah, that tiny breeze sure was cold. Don't worry Carrots, I'll keep you safe and warm till you get home." Before he realized what he was doing, Nick gave Judy's paw a squeeze. When she squeezed right back, he almost tripped over himself. Only when they finally arrived, too short a time later, at Judy's apartment did their hands leave each other's embrace. The corridor looked almost mournful.

"Well, Carrots, here you are. Now, about the pen...?"

"Last thing, Nick. Wish me goodnight. Come on." She held the pen behind her back with both hands, puffing out her chest for the height she needed.

"Okay. Goodnight, Carrots."

"Oh, come on! You know what I mean."

"Do I?"

Their faces drew closer, and closer... Judy shut her eyes first, ignoring the pounding in her chest and giving way to instinct. Nick gulped. All of a sudden, he wanted to run away. Yet this was the very thing he hoped he'd wake up with sweet memories of, wasn't it?

Forcing away any doubt, he pushed onward, and felt a light peck land on his lips. Judy's, on his. The rush was too much for them both, and after just a second they pulled back, looking away from each other and blushing enough to light a room.

"Hahaha... we'll do better next time, won't we? Here you go, Nick." Judy pulled enough of her quivering self together to hand the pen over to the fox, whose ears were flicking like they were trying to fan off the heat from him.

"Why, thank you, but you can keep it. Maybe you can use it so you don't miss me too much, hmm?" He didn't really want it to be erased, anyway. As long as only Carrots heard it.

"So generous of you, Nick. Goodnight!"

"Night, Carrots. Sweet dreams. Of me, of course."

As he left, Nick had wanted to keep the spring in his step until he was out of the building, but his tail betrayed him just as he turned the corner, where Judy could catch a last glimpse of his tail wagging.

That night, Judy Hopps went to bed with the same grin she wore since the door closed. Her dreams were indeed sweet, but waking up to find she had been tenderly kissing a pillow was much less satisfying than she expected.


End file.
